Former leader of opposition in parliament Winnie Kiiza has blasted ‘regime apologists’ and pan Africanists criticizing Bobi Wine’s Capitol Hill engagements.
On March 18, 2026, Bobi Wine, real name Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, a 2026 presidential candidate and National Unity Platform (NUP) president, announced that he had started his international engagements in Washington DC.
Bobi Wine, among others, had meetings on Capitol Hill, where the Senate and House of Representatives in the US hold sittings.
Critics quickly accused Bobi Wine of betraying the pan African spirit by seeking the help of imperialists. One of these was Kenyan political activist Miguna Miguna.
“The wrong place to start and pose for images. Washington DC is the headquarters of imperialism, genocide, war crimes and human rights violations,” wrote Miguna Miguna, a motor mouthed lawyer and commentator.
“No legitimate Pan-African or Freedom Fighter takes pride in that citadel of slavery and sav@gery.”
But Winnie Kiiza has punched holes in the pan African argument that African problems must be solved exclusively by Africans,” arguing that “while this position may appear principled at first glance, it becomes less convincing when examined against historical and present realities.”
“For several decades, the government of Pres. Museveni has depended significantly on U.S. financial assistance, military cooperation, and strategic partnerships to maintain its authority and sustain its programmes,” Kiiza, a former Kasese Woman MP, explained.
“Substantial volumes of development aid, security sector support, and bilateral trade arrangements have played a central role in underpinning our current political order.”
In Kiiza’s view, Bobi Wine simply wants the US to stop supporting the Kampala regime from violating human rights and democratic principles.
“Contrary to the accusations levelled against him, Hon. Kyagulanyi is not requesting that the U.S. assumes responsibility for resolving Uganda’s or Africa’s internal challenges,” she noted.
“Rather, he is respectfully urging Washington to stop providing unconditional support to repressive regimes, to refrain from enabling continued violations of human rights and democratic principles through unchecked aid, military assistance, and diplomatic cover.”
In any case, continued Kiiza “such a call aligns closely with pan African ideals because it seeks to protect African citizens from domestic authoritarianism by removing the external forces that have prolonged their oppression.”
She further argued that the Yoweri Museveni regime would want the wrongs happening in the country to stay within Uganda’s borders.
“Authoritarian governments, by their nature, prefer that their opposition remains strictly domestic. When dissent is confined within national borders, it is far easier to suppress without attracting meaningful international scrutiny or consequences,” Kiiza explained.
“However, when legitimate grievances are brought to global attention, there’s a possibility of action, which can be in the form of sanctions, suspension or reduction of foreign aid, and diplomatic isolation. This, if realised, can actually impose real costs on those in power.”
She further argued that the pan African argument seemed aimed at preserving the status quo for those in power. She noted that it would be hypocritical for the regime to enjoy the gains of partnerships with imperialists such as through aid yet draw the line when it comes to accountability.
“So the criticisms directed at Hon. Kyagulanyi for seeking international solidarity appear less as genuine expressions of pan African conviction and more as efforts to safeguard the prevailing political and economic arrangements that benefit those presently in power,” Kiiza argued.
“Genuine commitment to African liberation and self determination requires consistency. If external partnerships are acceptable when they sustain those in government, they cannot reasonably be condemned when employed by citizens seeking accountability and justice. True pan Africanism embraces every effective avenue, be it, local resistance, regional cooperation, and principled international pressure, to secure dignity, freedom, and accountable governance for African people.”
Bobi Wine fled Uganda days ago, leaving a clear message to Museveni and Muhoozi that it is not yet over, as reported Here.
